Shortly after I turned 19, I finally got what my world called a good job. A solid position of 40 hours a week with some benefits. Mostly, in those days the “benefits package” in employment didn’t really exist. But, the company was solid, the manufacturer of solid goods which were in constant demand, very little chance for a layoff, progress being a very important part of their long view of themselves. I’ve told a few short stories which occurred while I worked for them.
A few months into the work (I was placed in the printshop) where we did everything imaginable that a company might print. This shop had magnificent machines —latest thing to the old offset standbys. I was on a simple repetition machine which made copies for invoices. But, I was with 9 other guys in a large room where we could all see each others’ work. There was never much criticism or carping amongst us, but a couple of them thought we should be unionized like the factory was. I disagreed on the principle that our work was attached to the office not the factory so I spoke up against it. In short, my argument against it caused the vote to meet about a union to fail and we dropped the subject.
Little did I know that the office manager and our department head took notice of my stand and within a few days after it was decided, they transferred me into the sales department and I had to begin wearing a coat and tie every day (of which I had a short supply—more on that in a couple of paragraphs.)
This move into an open office atmosphere and sat me next to the first of the 3 Bills I mentioned in the title—Bill Lego. He was an Inside Salesman who took calls from field sales staff and customers from all over the country. We had very busy mornings, then an hour or so after lunch, but then it would be relatively slow for the last couple of hours. That’s where Bill’s importance to me came full stage.
Bill Lego was an artist—not with music or oils—an artist with the handling of irate customers and frustrated field salesmen. Bill talked to me every day (5 minutes to 50 minutes, depending on his time) in the manner of being my teacher. He probably didn’t mean it like that, but it was to me. His most beguiling principle to me for about 18 months was this: there is nothing more important in your day than to get the days work done! He handed me this quotation and it became imbedded on my work ethic until this day:
That was Bill Lego, personified.
During the time I sat next to Bill, Barb and I concluded I needed a part time job for two reasons: first, we needed more money and second, I now needed shirts and ties and sport coats and a suit or two. So, I walked into a men’s specialty shop (in those days there were a lot of those) and asked for a job. It was a Wednesday and the owner said, “Can you start tomorrow night?”— I had a job. When I got there the next evening, it seemed it was the beginning of this stores “annual sale” and “When Bruce has a sale it is always a great sale”—that’s what their ad said. Bruce immediately said to his right hand man, “put this young man wherever you want him to be.”The second Bill motioned for me to follow him up front. Bill Myers said, “go behind this counter here and start familiarizing yourself with these ties—tonight, you are going to sell ties. Then he said, “you got $2?” I said yes. He picked up a tie, put it around his own neck and tied it, loosened it, took it off and said, “give me the $2, take off that ugly tie and put this tie on. Now you can say you’re a Dalton&Payne man!”—and I was.
Bill said, “you’ll primarily sell to ladies for their husbands and sons tonight, but you’ll learn three things: When to suggest, when to be quiet, when to say will there be anything else.” Boy, was he right! they unlocked the door and people flooded in. That night I sold $2, $4, $6 ties—dozens of them. I simply was flabbergasted at the numbers. Before the night was over, I had also sold shirts, underwear, sox and even one sport coat.When I sold the latter, Bill saw me, came over and said, “You must have learned those 3 things—you’re a haberdasher!” Two years later, Bill moved on to a small Jewelry chain of stores and recommended me to become on of their managers, which I did.
That was Bill Myers, the second Bill
While I worked in the men’s wear store, the owner started a second store on the edge of town in a shopping center, open every night till 9, which afforded me to get more hours. He agreed to have me work there instead of the downtown store. My manager there was a kid who was actually younger than me. He’s the 3rd Bill.
Bill Kitzinger was a student of life like I had not seen before. His father was very elderly, a professional musician who taught violin and one or two other instruments at his home. Bill was an only child and also a musician. But, his work ethic was just remarkable and how he measured success was daily to a weekly to a monthly finish. He laid out his plans for each (or the success of already reaching these individual success plots) every time I went to work. We thought things through for that store as if it were our own—he being the lead thinker.
Once, he and I went to the downtown store to get some inventory moved to our branch and the owner had just opened a box which had the wrong item shipped in error in it. It was a lightweight rain slick and it came in, not the zip up front, but a pullover. The owner was livid, now he’ll have to send them back, etc., kind of livid. Bill said to me, “Let’s look at these. don’t you think we could sell these in our location?” I said I liked them and thought we would. Bill said to the owner, “How many are there?” 18, he said. “what if me and Lockhart took a dozen to the shopping center and sold them by, say Monday night? How much commission will you give us?” He mumbled something about not paying commissions, but then said, “If you take a dozen and sell them by Monday night I’ll give you $2 per piece besides your regular pay!” We took them, and by 9pm when we closed Bill had sold 7 and I had sold 5, job done. Bill smiled for a week, Bruce learned something about the two of us, but I came away with the fulfillment of a Scripture which at the time I didn’t even know existed: “The desire accomplished is sweet to the soul!”—Prov.13:19
Nothing quite as noticeable as a life well planned, Bill’s dad taught him that.
That was Bill Kitzinger, the third Bill
Many more people helped me over the years, but I thought it sort of unique that these 3, in the time of my life when I was getting a college education without going to college, were all named Bill.
Thanks for reading, the Elder
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